Tag Archives: Music to write by

Music is always one of my go-to sources of inspiration, and whenever I’m working on a story I put together a playlist of music and songs. Right now I’m working on a dieselpunk/historical fantasy series set in 1920s Los Angeles. A lot of my selections are not necessarily from the 1920s; since I’m writing historical fantasy, I don’t mind deviating from exact historical accuracy, especially for my personal playlist. I just want to evoke a flavor and mindset of the Roaring 20s to help immerse me in the glittering magical world of Mrs. Jones.

So here is some music to write by:

Theme from Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

I love this show, and it’s a fun way to get myself into Roaring 20s mode. While I’m not writing murder mysteries and my heroine is no Phryne Fisher (though they do have a few things in common), the music is a great thing to have on my playlist.

Writing from a place of pain is incredibly valuable. Writing can be release, personal therapy, a way of overcoming a struggle or trauma. At a few times in my life, I’ve written from a place of sadness or pain, and the writing has helped me.

However, I write best when I’m happy or relaxed. Joy, exuberance, or contented peace are usually more inspiring to me than sadness or pain. Not that I always have to be a good mood to write (it’s about discipline, not just feelings), but being happy certainly helps to boost my creativity.

Music is one of my greatest sources of inspiration; and so here I’m sharing some of my favorite “happy” tracks. These are pieces of music (mostly instrumental) that fill me with joy and help me to get into writing mode. Enjoy! Continue reading →

Music has always been one of my greatest sources of inspiration. I don’t usually listen to music while I’m actually writing, but while I’m brainstorming, researching, or making notes, I often have a playlist going. I know that a lot of writers have specific playlists for their books – whether it’s just their personal inspiration music, or the unofficial “soundtrack” of the finished book.

I just recently published a science-fiction novella titled Blueshift, and so I thought I’d share some of the tracks that I listened to that helped my muse as I wrote. If you’ve read the book, then you might see how these tracks could be a soundtrack – or you might be surprised by my selection of music!

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What I’m Reading

Lover of stories - real and imaginary. Lover of words in any language. Lover of travel and the music of the world. Born and raised in Virginia, studied English and creative writing at Hollins University. Currently living in Idaho with a cat and a lot of books.